New International Version NIV
American Standard Version ASV
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,
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My son, forget not my law; But let thy heart keep my commandments:
2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.
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For length of days, and years of life, And peace, will they add to thee.
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
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Let not kindness and truth forsake thee: Bind them about thy neck; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart:
4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
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So shalt thou find favor and good understanding In the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
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Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart, And lean not upon thine own understanding:
6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
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In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he will direct thy paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
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Be not wise in thine own eyes; Fear Jehovah, and depart from evil:
8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
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It will be health to thy navel, And marrow to thy bones.
9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;
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Honor Jehovah with thy substance, And with the first-fruits of all thine increase:
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
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So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, And thy vats shall overflow with new wine.
11 My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke,
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My son, despise not the chastening of Jehovah; Neither be weary of his reproof:
12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
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For whom Jehovah loveth he reproveth; Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
13 Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding,
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Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, And the man that getteth understanding.
14 for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.
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For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, And the profit thereof than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.
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She is more precious than rubies: And none of the things thou canst desire are to be compared unto her.
16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
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Length of days is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.
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Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.
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She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: And happy is every one that retaineth her.
19 By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place;
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Jehovah by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding he established the heavens.
20 by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.
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By his knowledge the depths were broken up, And the skies drop down the dew.
21 My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion;
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My son, let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep sound wisdom and discretion:
22 they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.
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So shall they be life unto thy soul, And grace to thy neck.
23 Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble.
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Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely, And thy foot shall not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
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When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
25 Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
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Be not afraid of sudden fear, Neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh:
26 for the LORD will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.
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For Jehovah will be thy confidence, And will keep thy foot from being taken.
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.
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Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, When it is in the power of thy hand to do it.
28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”— when you already have it with you.
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Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again, And to-morrow I will give; When thou hast it by thee.
29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you.
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Devise not evil against thy neighbor, Seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
30 Do not accuse anyone for no reason— when they have done you no harm.
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Strive not with a man without cause, If he have done thee no harm.
31 Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways.
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Envy thou not the man of violence, And choose none of his ways.
32 For the LORD detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence.
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For the perverse is an abomination to Jehovah; But his friendship is with the upright.
33 The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.
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The curse of Jehovah is in the house of the wicked; But he blesseth the habitation of the righteous.
34 He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
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Surely he scoffeth at the scoffers; But he giveth grace unto the lowly.
35 The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame.
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The wise shall inherit glory; But shame shall be the promotion of fools.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
The American Standard Version is in the public domain.